Conventional paint trays used for roller type painting devices are flat pans which have a bottom reservoir wherein paint is contained and a ribbed angled portion wherein the roller is rolled to remove excess paint. These type of paint trays maybe useful when positioned in a stationary place such as a ground surface but may not be suitable for use on ladders. Since the trays have a reasonably large opening they may be susceptible to spillage when on a ladder which can cause a considerable mess to clean.
A number of Patents have been issued for paint trays which can be mounted on to a ladder or scaffold or can also be carried by an individual. Some examples of these paint trays are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,493,751 (Misiukowiec et al), U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,836,043 (Rovas), U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,940,824 (Gioia et al), and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,351,970 (Engh). These examples of paint trays have a generally vertical containing arrangement which allows a user to place the tray on a ladder or scaffold. These examples however, have a relatively large opening which may not contain the paint sufficiently thereby the paint within the container while in use may be spilled or splashed onto surrounding surfaces or areas.
Some other examples of paint trays are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,511,279 (Ippolito), U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,787,586 (Crain) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,837,034 (Leffert et al).